Wolves targeted as Congress moves to de-fang Endangered Species Act

WASHINGTON, DC — House Republicans in Congress are pursuing bipartisan legislation that would drop federal protections for gray wolves in the Great Lakes region and give population management control back to hunting-friendly states amid broader plans to overhaul the federal Endangered Species Act.

The bill to remove the gray wolf from the endangered list in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Wyoming includes a jurisdictional stripping provision meant to bar the courts from hearing any legal challenges to the legislation, which, if made law, would stop wolf “management by litigation,” according to bill sponsors.

“Wyoming should be able to manage the gray wolf without outside interference,” said Wyoming Congressman Liz Cheney, a Republican who is co-sponsoring H.R. 424, introduced Jan. 10 by Democrat Colin Peterson of Minnesota.

The bill has 14 co-sponsors, 11 Republicans and three Democrats.<<<Read More>>>